


Make It Easy (Say I Never Mattered)

by halfsweet



Series: Gambling With Desire [1]
Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 22:31:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3913066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfsweet/pseuds/halfsweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Patrick…" Pete began. "'Trick, I'm sorry," he choked out. "I didn't know what came over me!"</p><p>Unfazed, Patrick just inspected the musical instrument. "Yeah, you did. You're trying to defend yourself. Understandable, since you have quite a reputation to protect."</p><p>"Patrick, that's not true!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make It Easy (Say I Never Mattered)

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to write a high school AU

After Pete's soccer practice had finished, he grabbed a quick shower and sluggishly walked out of the locker room. Practice that day was more hellish than usual, and the coach didn't even give them a five-minute break from a two-hour practice.

He and the rest of the seniors on the team were used to the gruesome practice, but he felt sorry for those that had just made the team. His coach was never the one to pity anyone when it came to sports.

He sneaked into the music room and slid his arms around a certain blond sophomore's waist, causing the person to jump in surprise.

"Pete!" Patrick squeaked, throwing a glance at the door to check if it's closed. After confirming that it was, he relaxed into Pete's arms and tilted his head to give Pete a kiss on the cheek.

"Miss you, 'Trick…" Pete mumbled against Patrick's shoulder. "Today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day," he whined.

Patrick laughed and gestured Pete to sit on one of the chairs, to which the latter pouted at having being separated from him. "If you stop behaving like a baby, I'll sing you something I've been working on."

Pete's eyes light up at Patrick. He knew Patrick could sing, and he knew Patrick wrote, but Patrick had never played his song to anyone before, even him. Today must be his lucky day, he thought.

"I promise!" Pete nodded hastily. "Now sing!"

Patrick took a seat across Pete and began strumming his guitar and tapping his foot to the rhythm. He hummed a few bars before he opened his mouth to sing. Pete couldn't believe his ears, he might have died and gone to heaven when he heard Patrick sang.

 _' Every word's a new regret if you say it right, right?_  
_Every wound can be forgotten in the right light_  
_Oh nostalgia, I don't need you anymore_  
_'Cause the silent days are over and the beat is at my door'_

Patrick's voice was nothing like he had ever heard before. Sure, he had a nice voice in general but this, THIS was beyond his imagination.

 _'They might try to tell you how you can live your life_  
_But don't, don't forget it's your right_  
_To do whatever you like, you like'_

He caught Patrick's gaze and Patrick was smiling warmly at him. He could see the underlying happiness in Patrick's eyes, and he felt proud that he was the cause of it.

 _''Cause you could be your own spotlight_  
_You could be your own spotlight_  
_You could be the star_  
_You can shine so bright_  
_You could be your own spotlight'_

Patrick ended the song with a sheepish grin on his face. He scratched the back of his head and looked down at his guitar. "It's not finished yet, but… what do you think?" He glanced up at Pete timidly.

Pete gaped at the younger boy and tackled him into a hug. "That was brilliant, 'Trick," he whispered. He didn't dare to say anything else because he knew it took a lot of nerve for Patrick to sing in front of someone, even if it just one person. His heart swelled with pride at Patrick for trusting him.

He felt Patrick put his guitar down and hugged him back. "I hope it made your day a little bearable."

Pete tightened his hold and grinned widely. Patrick didn't need to know that he had just made Pete's entire life a thousand times better.

-

It had been Pete's routine to sneak in notes inside Patrick's locker every day, every single time when he had the chance. His head was full of jumbled words and the only way he could get them out of his head was by writing them down, and sending them to Patrick. Patrick never mentioned anything about the notes, and he didn't say anything either. But it made him glad that Patrick didn't think of him anything less.

 _'i'll be your best kept secret_  
_and your biggest mistake_  
_the hand behind this pen_  
_relives a failure everyday'_

-

Pete was roaming the hallway with his friends and he grinned when everyone made way for them. It felt good to be a senior, and a popular one at that.

He cracked when Gabe was telling them his adventures from last weekend, and then a door swung open suddenly and almost hit him in the face. They paused and waited for the person to come out.

Patrick walked out and closed the door, not realizing the crowd behind him. When he did, he gave Pete the briefest glance and walked away without saying a word.

"Hey, fatass! Get back here!" Gabe shouted. When Patrick ignored him, he grabbed Patrick by the back of his collar and shoved him against the wall.

"Didn't you hear me?" Gabe hissed.

"Oh, I heard you. I just don't care," Patrick replied. Pete mentally applauded Patrick for his boldness. No one dared to stood up to his dick of a friend before.

"You little shit. You think you're so funny?" Gabe jabbed Patrick by the shoulder and Patrick let out a small cry of pain.

"If you have a problem with me, then cry me a river and drown yourself in it," Patrick fired. Just as Gabe raised his arm to hit Patrick, Pete quickly intervened, grabbing Gabe's wrist mid-air.

"Hey, now. Leave him alone," Pete chided. Gabe threw Patrick a nasty look before giving him one last forceful push.

"Don't count your luck next time," he spat.

Pete gave Patrick an apologetic look and they all walked away, leaving Patrick. When they were a few feet in front of Patrick, he heard Patrick calling out to Gabe. "You should do some soul-searching. Maybe you'll find one." Then he walked in the opposite direction as if nothing happened.

Pete burst out laughing right then and there.

-

 _'i read about the afterlife_  
_but i never really lived_  
_more than an hour'_

-

The next time Pete saw Patrick was during lunch. Patrick was, as usual, sitting with Brendon, a freshman. Brendon was a nice kid, but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous at how much Patrick spent his time with him and how close they were. They both bonded over music and Pete always wanted to be able to talk music with Patrick, but he had zero musical knowledge.

He caught Patrick's eyes and grinned at him, to which he received a small blush in return.

"Fatrick Stumph! You should watch you eat. Don't want to get your fat ass fatter, now do we?" Gabe cackled.

Patrick ignored him and continued his conversation with Brendon instead. Gabe, obviously hated being ignored, walked closer to their table and slammed his hands down on the table so loud that everyone in the cafeteria stilled, watching them and whispering to each other. Pete, on the other hand, just wanted to grab Patrick and get out of there. Gabe was scary when he could be.

"Listen here, you twerp," he grasped Patrick's jaw and squeezed it hard, roughly turning his head so he could look him in the eye. "I've had enough of you thinking you're so big and mighty. You're going to learn your place right here, right now," he growled and there was actually murder in his eyes.

Patrick, for once, actually look scared and flickered his eyes at Pete, who was fuming. Patrick sent him a pleading look to _stay out of this_.

Gabe saw the little exchange between Pete and Patrick and smirked, releasing his grip from the younger boy.

"Oh, I see what's going on here," he turned to Pete and asked him, "Is that why you always cover for him? He's your new plaything?"

Pete's hand formed into a fist at his side. He hated this, the day when Gabe could somehow find out about them. Gabe might be a jerk, but he wasn't stupid. He looked at Patrick and before he could say anything, Gabe interrupted.

"Oh my God, he is, isn't he?" Gabe howled in amusement and made wolf-whistles in the silent cafeteria, and faced Patrick. "Didn't think you're a fag. Then again, you kinda do look like one. Tell me, have you slept with Pete yet? Lost your ass cherry yet?"

"Gabe," Pete warned him.

The tall boy just smirked at him. "You fucked him yet, Pete? Was he good? Are you a good little boy?" He cooed at Patrick. Patrick was flushed red in embarrassment and tears had started leaking from his eyes. Everyone in the cafeteria was paying close attention to the three of them.

Patrick looked at Pete hopelessly, his voice cracking. "Pete…"

Pete's eyes darted between Patrick's forlorn face and Gabe's gleeful one. What he said next was completely out of his control.

"That's Captain Wentz to you, faggot."

-

 _'i'm sitting out dances on the wall_  
_trying to forget everything that isn't you_  
_i'm not going home alone_  
_cause i don't do too well on my own'_

-

Pete was in the school library when he saw Patrick. Patrick was alone, sitting on the floor at the history section. It was situated at the back of the library, and no one stayed there for too long, which gave Patrick a sense of privacy.

Pete walked towards him and sat down next to Patrick. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Patrick merely jotted down notes on his notebook, occasionally glancing at the multiple opened books scattered in front of him.

"What history assignment do you have?" When Patrick didn't reply, he continued, "Do you have your History with Mister Trohman? He's a pretty cool teacher. I had him before. You know, you don't even have to get your facts accurate on his assignments. As long as he sees your name on the paper, then he'll give you full mark. True story."

He paused and shifted closer to Patrick that their shoulders and thighs were pressing against each other.

"'Trick? 'Trick, I'm sorry," he sighed and placed his head on Patrick's shoulder, but quickly removed himself when Patrick shrugged his shoulder.

"'Trick…" he looked at Patrick, hurt. "'Trick, please… Talk to me."

The bell began to rang and Patrick packed up his stuff. Pete helped to close the books and put them back on the shelves. He held out his hand to help Patrick, but Patrick just heaved himself up and walked away.

Pete had never felt so invisible before.

-

 _'i'm a stitch away from making it_  
_and a scar away from falling apart_  
_blood cells pixelate_  
_and eyes dilate_  
_and the full moon pills_  
_got me out on the street at night'_

-

Pete stared in horror as Patrick was being shoved and pushed around in the circle by some guys. He knew Patrick was being bullied, but he had never _seen_ Patrick being bullied, except by Gabe.

When one of the guys shoved Patrick to the ground, they grabbed his bag and opened it, turning it upside down so everything fell out. They took the assignment papers on the floor and tore them into tiny pieces, and throwing them in the air like confetti. His heart ached at the sight of Patrick staring at the falling papers.

He cursed himself. Why didn't he move to help him? Once the guys had left Patrick, he made a beeline to Patrick and crouched down on the floor, putting all of Patrick's stuff inside his bag. When he turned to look at Patrick, the younger hadn't moved from his position, still staring at the pile of shredded paper.

"'Trick…?" Pete cautiously called out to him, handing him his bag. Patrick wordlessly took the bag and stood up. Pete followed suit and Patrick slung his bag on his shoulder.

Patrick took a step to walk past Pete, but stopped when he was next to him. "Thanks."

Pete took his wrist, pulling him back. "'Trick, wait!"

"I'm sorry, Captain Wentz, but I'm late for class."

Pete could only release his hold and watched as Patrick walked away.

-

 _'all my thoughts of you_  
_they could heat or cool the room_  
_and no, don't tell me you're crying_  
_oh, honey, you don't have to lie'_

-

"Captain," Patrick greeted curtly when he sensed Pete. Pete stood at the door, biting his lip and kept quiet, words caught in his throat. He had already rehearsed what he wanted to say to Patrick for days, but when he saw Patrick like this, small and tired, he couldn't form a single sentence.

"If you're here to mock me, then go ahead. Once you're done, there's the door," Patrick muttered, not once looking at Pete and only paid attention to the trombone in his hand. Pete knew that both the music room and band room had always been Patrick's solace, now probably not so much since he knew about them.

"Patrick…" Pete began. "'Trick, I'm sorry," he choked out. "I didn't know what came over me!"

Unfazed, Patrick just inspected the musical instrument. "Yeah, you did. You're trying to defend yourself. Understandable, since you have quite a reputation to protect."

"Patrick, that's not true!" Pete cried out, entering the room.

Patrick sighed and looked up at Pete from where he's sitting. "I'm tired, Wentz. Just tell me what you want."

Pete could see that Patrick had been having a hard time. There were dark rings under his eyes and there was no spark in his eyes, which was what attracted him to Patrick in the first place.

"I… I want us back together," Pete finally said. "Like how we were before all this… thing happened."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Patrick mumbled. "Don't you care about your reputation?"

"To hell with it! I want you, 'Trick! I don't want anything else!" Pete's voice echoed throughout the room, not caring if people could hear him. He was a wreck without Patrick, and he's going to get him back one way or another.

Patrick averted his gaze and began to polish his trombone. For a moment, neither said anything. Then, he opened his mouth to talk.

"Have you ever thought what would happen when you graduate?"

Pete blinked, taken aback at the sudden question. "What do you mean?"

Patrick turned around so that his back was facing Pete, and said in a soft voice that left Pete's heart shattering into pieces.

"Once you're gone, I'm an easy target. Two years, Pete. I don't think I can handle that."

"Patrick…" Pete whispered. He had never thought what would happen to the younger boy when he had graduated. When he thought about it, Patrick's life would be a living hell. The bullies and the beating would escalate tremendously because he wasn't there, they were free to do as they liked.

He heard Patrick sniffling and shuffled closer to him. Before he could say anything, Patrick's cold voice cut him to the bones.

"I'm glad we have things sorted out, but please, Captain Wentz, non-band members aren't allowed in the room. Have a nice day."

Pete stared dejectedly at Patrick's back, the younger boy playing with his trombone. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and nodded, even though Patrick couldn't see him. He hated it when Patrick became all formal on him, when Patrick shut himself off, when Patrick built walls around himself that he spent countless days, weeks and months trying to break them down. He hated his life so much.

-

 _'i've got headaches and bad luck_  
_but they couldn't touch you, no_  
_i'm not trying_  
_you only hold me up like this'_

-

Pete hesitantly walked into the cafeteria with Gabe. Ever since the big cafeteria incident, he had been a little phobic towards the place. He kept quiet and walked ahead, not paying attention to anyone around him and didn't even realize that Gabe had stopped by a table. When he did, though, he was too late.

"Hey, fag. Long time no see. How's your boyfriend doing? Or did Pete dump you?" Gabe smirked. Pete knew Patrick was going to ignore Gabe, but he wished Patrick would fight back. He wanted to make sure that Patrick still had that fire within him, even after what happened.

Just as he expected, Patrick ignored him and was teaching Brendon about music scores. Brendon, too, was ignoring him and paid full attention to Patrick.

"Aww, I'm going to take that as a yes. But, hey, I'm sure there are lots of guys here that would do you for free," Gabe sat on Patrick's table and crossed his long legs. "So. *Pete* here," he smirked at Pete, who was just a few feet away from the table, "told me you're a pretty good fuck. Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Inside, Pete was already ripping Gabe's head off and offering it as a token of apology to Patrick. But just like the other day, he couldn't move or do anything, he could only just watch as Gabe provoked Patrick. Gabe wouldn't stop until he got a reaction out of Patrick.

"Or do you already have a new boyfriend? Hey, wait, is the little big forehead here your new boyfriend?" Gabe jeered and poked at Brendon's head. Brendon stiffed in his seat, too scared to do anything. Patrick, on the other hand, tightened his grip on the pencil he was holding, but continued teaching Brendon.

"Wow, hey, Pete! Your plaything already has another boyfriend! And it's this nerd kid! You got replaced by a wimpy freshman!"

When Patrick had finally had enough, he stood up, facing Gabe with fury in his eyes.

"You can say shit about me, you can beat the fuck out of me, I don't give a fucking shit. But don't you ever talk like that to Brendon. Ever," he growled out.

Gabe just laughed at him and taunted him more. "Yeah? What are you gonna do about it, faggot? Defending a fag doesn't make you any less of a fag."

When Patrick heard Brendon whimpering from beside him, he began seeing red and punched Gabe right in the jaw. Pete stared in astonishment. As small as Patrick was, he could really pack a punch.

"Shut your fucking mouth," Patrick gritted his teeth and delivered another blow. After recovering from his shock, Gabe shoved Patrick until Patrick's side hit the table, and Patrick gasped for air.

"'Trick!" Pete shouted his name and ran over to Patrick, helping him up. He was at a loss for words when Patrick pushed him away and didn't even bat an eyelash at him. "'Trick…"

Gabe punched Patrick in the stomach and Patrick doubled over in pain. "No one talks back to me!"

Patrick clenched his fist and growled, about to strike Gabe when both Pete and Brendon grabbed him by the arms to pull him back, and two other students held Gabe.

"You two! To the principal's office!" A teacher bellowed out after witnessing the scene. Gabe spat on the floor, glared at Patrick and pulled himself from the students holding him, and then followed the teacher. Patrick released himself from Pete, but let Brendon latched onto him.

"'Trick… want me to go with you?" Pete softly asked.

"You okay, Bren?" Patrick asked, turning his attention and his whole body to the younger boy. Brendon nodded and stared at Pete, who was watching Patrick sadly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess."

"I'm going to the principal's office. Think you can take care of yourself?"

"I'll go with you," Pete interjected.

Brendon nodded slowly and gave Pete a pitiful look. Still, Patrick ignored the dark-haired senior. "I'll see you after school, Bren." Patrick said with a final puff and made his way to the office.

"'Trick…" Pete sighed at Patrick's retreating back, then turned to Brendon. "Bren, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for what happened," he apologized.

Brendon just looked at him in sympathy, torn between being mad at Pete for the way he acted the other day, or feeling sorry at Pete because he was ignored by Patrick. In the end, his loyalty belonged to Patrick. He was still mad at Pete for what he did to Patrick, so he left the scene, leaving Pete alone.

-

 _'and i saw god cry_  
_in the reflection of my enemies_  
_and all the lovers_  
_with no time for me_  
_and all of the mothers raise their babies_  
_to stay away from me'_

-

It had been a week since he'd last seen Patrick. Practice was, as usual, gruesome and the coach made them stayed later for practice. When he had finished his practice, he sneaked into the music room but to no avail, no Patrick was found.

He was feeling miserable and he felt empty. Soccer used to bring him joy, but now he felt nothing. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep, and pretend that everything was just a nightmare.

There was no other way he could contact Patrick. Patrick never picked up his calls and replied his texts, and he seemed to avoid the cafeteria. The only time he could see Patrick was after practice, but since they had to stay later than usual, Patrick had already gone home by then.

The only way he could get to Patrick was through Brendon. Even though he caught Brendon giving him pitied look, Brendon still wouldn't talk to him.

He sighed and pushed open the door to the band room. Patrick was still nowhere to be found. He sat on one of the chairs and gazed at the wall on the other side of the room. Both the band room and the music room had been his safe places to hide ever since he got to know Patrick.

Patrick would play him music whenever he was feeling down, and now he just sat in silence. He crouched over and held his head in his hands, gripping his hair tight. How could he be so stupid?

He looked up when he heard the soft creak of the door. He gaped when he saw Brendon and quickly stood up. "Brendon, wait!"

Brendon looked like a deer caught in the headlights, not expecting Pete to be inside the room. He just stood where he was, hand on the doorknob, ready to bolt anytime.

"Brendon, please, wait! I just want to talk!"

Brendon bit his lip before he quietly replied. "Non-band members aren't allowed in the room."

"I'll go out, but I need to talk to you. Please," Pete gently said. Brendon contemplated for a second before nodding. Pete let out a relieved sigh and exited the room, standing just outside the door.

"Bren, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for what happened. Everything. I don't know why I did that," he explained. "It was never my intention to hurt Patrick."

"But you did, though. Patrick was hurt really bad," Brendon responded. "Patrick was…" he paused, contemplating before continuing, "Patrick became different. He doesn't talk to anyone, not even me. He's always making himself busy helping with band matters. Pete, to be honest, the only time I see him is during practice. Not even during lunch."

Pete's eyes casted downwards. If Patrick didn't even talk to Brendon, then Patrick was really, really hurt. "He… Patrick doesn't stay for extra practice?"

Brendon shook his head slowly. "After he got called into the principal's office, they called his father. Patrick's been grounded ever since. He could only stay for practice."

That explained why he hadn't seen Patrick the entire week. He waved Brendon goodbye and walked away. He couldn't handle not seeing Patrick for another day. No matter what, he was going to see Patrick tomorrow, one way or another.

-

 _'wear me like a locket_  
_around your throat_  
_i'll weigh you down_  
_i'll watch you choke_  
_you look so good in blue'_

-

He was going to hell for this. Skipping soccer practice without telling the coach, when he was the captain, was going to book him a one-way ticket to the deepest hell. But he couldn't lose the chance of seeing Patrick again.

Pete stood in front of the entrance, occasionally glancing at his watch to check if Patrick had finished with his band practice. He straightened his back when he found that it was almost time for band practice to finish.

One by one person walked out, chattering and Pete surveyed for the the blond boy. He almost gave up after everyone had left when Patrick strolled past him.

Pete quickly caught Patrick's wrist, halting Patrick. Patrick snatched his hand away and continued walking. Pete grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him to the side, where no one could see them. He pushed Patrick against the wall and held him by the shoulder, not letting Patrick to escape.

Patrick looked anywhere but Pete, hands clutched tight around the books he was holding.

"Patrick… 'Trick, look at me," Pete said in a soft voice. When Patrick didn't look at him, he placed his fingers under chin, gently turning his face so he could look at Patrick.

"'Trick…" Patrick's eyes were puffy and that almost brought tears to his eyes because _Patrick had been crying_.

"'Trick, I'm sorry… I didn't know what happened!"

Patrick kept his mouth in a tight line, staring blankly at the direction behind Pete. Pete was desperate to get Patrick to say something, or to get any reaction out of him, even a small sigh.

Pete brought himself closer to Patrick, wrapping his arms around Patrick's waist and leaving Patrick with no space between him and the wall behind him. He sucked in Patrick's scent and dropped his forehead on Patrick's shoulder.

"I miss you. Please say something. Anything. You can even yell at me if you want to, but please don't keep quiet," Pete said in a broken voice. "Please, 'Trick. Please… I really miss you. This month has been tough without you." He nuzzled his nose on Patrick's neck, then planted a kiss there.

"Say something, 'Trick," he begged when Patrick didn't say anything. He kissed from Patrick's neck and moved slowly to his jaw, to his cheek, then finally his lips.

He felt Patrick placed his hand on his chest, and he almost cried tears of joy at the thought of _Patrick gave in_ and _Patrick forgave him_ , but he was far from it when Patrick lightly shoved him away.

"My ride's here," Patrick struggled himself free and walked away, not looking at Pete.

"'Trick…" Pete stared at his retreating back. His heart jumped out of his chest when Patrick stopped halfway.

"I'd really appreciate it if you would stop coming to the band room. You're disturbing the other students. Goodbye, Captain Wentz."

When Patrick had left the area, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground and cried. And cried. He couldn't care less if people saw him or heard him, he just wanted things to go back to the way it was before.

-

 _'stood on my roof_  
_and tried to see you forgetting about me_  
_hide the details_  
_i don't want to know a thing_  
_i wish that i was as invisible_  
_as you make me feel'_

-

Pete stood in front of his locker, towel draped over his head. He was the only person left in the locker room. Everyone had already left a long time ago, and he couldn't find the energy to move. Not since what happened yesterday.

He let out a frustrated scream and punched his locker, leaving a huge dent. He sat on the bench and hot tears were blurring his vision. He regretted what he said at the cafeteria weeks ago. He was a coward; instead of helping Patrick, he called him names because he was scared of what people would think of him. For God's sake, he was _ashamed_ of his relationship with Patrick. He cried harder. Karma's truly a bitch.

"Wentz?" He heard a gruff voice called.

He quickly wiped his tears and controlled his breathing. Good thing he had a towel to cover him. "Coach?"

"You're still here? Usually you're always the first one to leave after practice."

Pete let out a short laugh. "Not really feeling it today."

The coach sat next to him and Pete looked down at the floor. "Come on. You can tell me anything. Something happened," the coach said.

Pete sighed and slouched forward, placing his hands on his knees. His coach was strict on the field, but off the field, he was like his second father. He could always tell him his problems, and he wouldn't judge.

"I made a mistake," he mumbled. "I was too selfish, I took things for granted. Now everything seems dull. I can't seem to do anything right."

The coach hummed in understanding. "Yeah, you played like shit lately."

Pete chuckled. "Sorry, coach. Things are just so rough right now."

"Well, if you made a mistake, own it. Make it right again. Whatever you do, don't give up. Things will go your way," his coach advised.

"But it's been weeks, almost a month. Nothing has changed," Pete sighed.

His coach patted his shoulder and stood up. "Knowing Stumph, he'd probably cave in one day. Good luck."

Pete turned his head so quick the towel on his head slid off. "You… you knew about Patrick?"

"Just a hunch, at first. You used to stay back after practice, and were the last person to leave. Everyone eventually got suspicious when you started to leave early. I just happened to see you sneaked into the band room a couple of times before," the coach said.

"So I started to put two and two together. Asked the band teacher about the kid that stayed late, and she said it was Stumph. Good kid. Always helping everyone," he continued.

Pete stared up at his coach in awe. His coach rarely praised people. Pete had spent four years with his coach and in those four years, the closest praise he had gotten from him was a simple nod. For his coach to praise Patrick, which he was pretty sure neither of them had actually talked to each other before, was incredible and too much for him to handle.

"So, you… you don't mind that I like guys?" Pete nervously asked.

His coach laughed at him. "Do you honestly think I'd be mad for that? If you were gay for Saporta, then, yes, maybe. He's a bad influence. But Stumph is good. You changed a lot when you're with him."

Pete raised his eyebrows. "I did?"

"Yeah, you're too uptight. The boys used to complain to me how you were always hard on them," his coach smirked. "Stumph got you whipped?" He teased.

Pete, after weeks of feeling gloomy, laughed out loud he could feel pain on his sides. It felt so good to laugh again, and somehow it, too, felt awesome that his coach had approved of Patrick.

"You have no idea," Pete admitted, still laughing.

The coach smiled. "Was that why you skipped practice yesterday? To see him?

Pete nodded, and smiled sadly. "Yeah, but… I don't know. He won't talk to me."

"Try harder, and don't give up. The Wentz I know doesn't give up easily."

Pete smiled. "Yes, coach."

-

 _'case open and case shut_  
_but you could pay to close it_  
_like a casket_  
_baby boy can't lift his headache head_  
_isn't it tragic?'_

-

Pete made his way to the band room, casually walking along the empty hallways and taking the long way. Soccer practice was over early because the coach thought the team needed a good treat once in a while. Since it was quite early to go home, he had decided to see Patrick. From what Brendon had told him, Patrick was supposed to have finished his grounding yesterday.

He hadn't seen him at all the entire day and he felt shitty. Patrick downright avoiding everyone and him. He knew that Patrick's life turned upside down when the whole school found out about their relationship, and the way he acted back at the cafeteria only made it worse.

He couldn't forget Patrick's expression that day. It was a mix of shame, betrayal, hurt and purely heartbreaking. He never wanted to see that look on Patrick's face ever again. It was the only thing that kept him up at night, knowing that he was the reason behind that look.

He was snapped out of his mind when he saw a familiar door at the end of the hallway. He made a beeline to the door and stood in front of it. From his position, he could hear music from inside the room, even if it's slightly muffled.

He leaned against the door and enjoyed the music. He knew it was played by Patrick, since he always came down to the band room after school to practice. He even had a spare key given by the teacher.

After a while, listening to the music wasn't enough for him. He needed Patrick in the physical form. He knocked on the door and waited. "Coming!"

Pete let out a soft smile. He missed Patrick's voice. He could never get tired of listening to it everyday, but after the cafeteria scene, Patrick only talked to him in a flat, short and curt manner. He wanted the old Patrick back.

He braced himself when the door opened. "Hey, 'Trick," he greeted.

Patrick gave him a look before closing the door, but Pete managed to wedge his foot between them. "'Trick, wait!"

"What?" Patrick frowned.

"Just, please. Listen to what I have to say," he begged. He could see Patrick having an internal fight with himself before he cautiously opened the door.

"One minute, Wentz. I have to practice."

Pete nodded. One minute was enough. "You don't have to practice, you're already perfect," he blurted out and covered his mouth. That was not the plan, he grimaced. But the sight of Patrick blushing bright red in front of him said it was worth it.

"Sorry, sorry. Being serious now," Pete quickly apologized before Patrick decided to slam the door in his face. "Look, I… I know I can never take back what I said at the cafeteria. It was a dick move. I understand if you're mad at me, but please… 'Trick, please…" his voice was beginning to crack and he was on the verge of tears. "I need you, 'Trick. I can't live without you. I'm a wreck without you. I miss you. I'm sorry. I was an idiot. I'm sorry. Please…"

He fell down to his knees, sobbing. "'Trick, I'm sorry. Please… I love you, 'Trick. I'm sorry. I love you."

Patrick knelt down in front of Pete and cupped Pete's face, wiping his tears away. Pete looked into Patrick's eyes and saw many emotions flickered behind his pupils, but he couldn't name one. "'Trick…" he trailed off with a hopeful look on his face.

"Pete…" Patrick cleared his throat and stood up. "Captain Wentz, you should go home. It's late."

Pete stared at him in disbelief and stood up to glare at him. "The fuck, Patrick?! That's all you have to say?!"

Patrick didn't spare him a glance and began walking to the other side of the room, picking up an instrument to play. "School doesn't allow students to be here after session, unless you have extra curricular activities. I'm sure soccer practice was over a long time ago. You should know, you're the captain."

Pete clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to lash out at the other boy. "Why are you making this hard? Don't you love me?"

He knew he was being childish by using that line, but he didn't care because that was his last resort: guilt trip. If Patrick didn't give him an answer, then he was lost, he truly had nothing else.

He noticed Patrick stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. Well, it was a small start.

"Pete, I'm…" Patrick paused, "do you really want to know why I'm making this hard? Do you even realize what you did?"

"I know-"

"No, you don't!" Patrick snapped, turning around to face Pete. Pete was surprised at the look on Patrick's face, he was red all over and he was breathing heavily, and Pete could see tears pooling in his eyes.

"I can't eat! I can't sleep at night! I wake up every morning feeling like shit! People point and laugh at me every fucking second! They call me names, beat me up! And when I go home, every fucking day, my dad gives me shit about getting into fights! And- and…" Patrick was shaking with tears right then, then raised his fist only to hit Pete weakly on the chest. "…and how dare you say you love me when you have done absolutely…" he shut his eyes and Pete held him by his wrist, pulling him close.

"…absolutely nothing to help me to get through the day. Just one day, Pete. I only ask for one day. Is that too much to ask for?" Patrick continued with a small voice.

Pete wrapped his arms tightly around Patrick and whispered apologies in his ear. "You could've just told me," Pete soothed him. "I'd drop anything in a heartbeat for you." He rubbed Patrick's back and kissed the crown of his head. They were quiet for a while, the only sound accompanying them being Patrick's soft weeping.

Pete closed the door and ushered Patrick to the couch, and they both sat down with Patrick still crying on Pete's chest. Pete glanced at the door to make sure it was closed properly before tilting Patrick's chin.

Patrick's eyes were red and puffy, and he was biting his lips in an attempt to hold down his sobs. If it weren't for their current situation, Pete would've gone all heart-eyes on Patrick.

"From now on, I'll protect you. I'll make each of your day filled with nothing but happiness. No more tears, I assure you. I'll never hurt you," Pete promised.

"Pete…" Patrick whispered, no other words were needed. Pete understood what Patrick meant in that one single syllable of his name. He brought Patrick's face close to his.

"Yeah, I know," Pete murmured against Patrick's lips and captured them in a kiss. Pete closed his eyes and they both lost themselves in the kiss. Pete missed this so much. The sight of Patrick, the scent of Patrick, the taste of Patrick, the touch of Patrick, the sound of Patrick. Patrick and nothing else. Entirely Patrick, and he couldn't get enough of it. He needed more.

He pulled away suddenly from the kiss and scooted away from Patrick, and instantly felt guilty at the hurt look on Patrick's face.

"'Trick, it's not that I don't want to kiss you, because I really do, but if it goes on any longer, I don't think I'm able to restraint myself," he explained, looking down at his feet.

He felt Patrick placed his hand on his shoulder and he leaned into the comforting touch.

"Then don't," Patrick breathed out. Pete stared at him, not sure whether he had heard Patrick right. He had been waiting for this moment since before they started dating, and now that the moment had finally arrived, he was having a hard time believing it.

"'Trick…" Unable to control himself any longer, he pulled Patrick for a deep kiss. "I'll make you feel so good, 'Trick. I promise."

-

Pete stirred from his slumber when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

"Pete, wake up. It's almost eight."

Pete sat up abruptly and checked his phone, and sure enough, it was five minutes before eight. He groaned and slumped into the couch. "Can't we just spend the night here?"

Patrick laughed and tossed Pete's boxer at him. He didn't realize how angelic Patrick's laugh sounded before. "No, Pete. We need to get home now. Your parents must be worried sick about you."

Pete caught the boxer and watched as Patrick began to put his clothes on. He grinned at the marks he left on Patrick's body, but soon scowled when he saw the ugly bruises and scars from being beaten.

"I'm going to beat the fuck out of those assholes," Pete growled.

Patrick, now fully clothed, gave Pete a soft kiss and smiled at him. "I'm used to it."

"But, 'Trick-"

"It's okay, Pete. I overreacted earlier. But, in all honesty, I really am used to it," Patrick said and stood up, extending his hand out to help Pete.

Pete let out a frustrated sigh and reached for Patrick's hand, then picked up his clothes. He couldn't bear to see Patrick getting hurt anymore, he just wanted to punch those that dared to beat Patrick up. His reputation be damned.

Just as he finished wearing his last article of clothing, he tried to cover his laugh (and failed miserably) when he saw Patrick limping to get his bag on the floor.

"Shut the fuck up!"

-

 _'sometimes i just wanna sit around_  
_and gaze at my shoes_  
_and let your dirty sadness_  
_fill me up just like a balloon'_

-

Pete strolled across the school ground the next morning, whistling a happy tune. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, remembering last night's event.

"Pete!"

He turned to the source of the voice and saw Brendon running towards him. He stood rooted to his spot, waiting for the other boy to catch up to him.

"Hey, kiddo. What's up?" He greeted once Brendon was in front of him.

Brendon took a few seconds to catch his breath before looking up at Pete in frenzy.

"Patrick! It's Patrick! You've got to help him!"

Pete grabbed Brendon by the shoulder and shook him. "What happened to him? Bren, what happened?"

"Come on!" Brendon took Pete by the arm and dragged him inside. Once they were inside, Pete stared at the commotion around him. Students were screaming, laughing and whispering to their friends. The floor and the wall was covered with papers, and everyone was holding the same paper in their hands.

He noticed Brendon handing him a flyer with a nervous expression on his face. He took the flyer and gave it a look.

At the front of the flyer was a black and white picture of both Pete and Patrick from last night, only covered from waist below by a blanket Patrick found in the room, snuggled up next to each other on the couch with their clothes strewn on the floor. Below the picture was a caption that sent Pete into a seething rage.

_**'FAGTRICK STUMPH: STUDENT BY DAY, SLUT BY NIGHT. CALL THE NUMBER BELOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT'** _

And there was Patrick's phone number below the caption. He crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor. Forget about Patrick being used to it, he was going to skin Gabe alive.

He maneuvered his way through the crowd, searching for Patrick. His shouting for Patrick's name was drowned by the noise surrounding him. As he reached a familiar hallway, he saw some students forming a large circle in the middle of it. He debated whether he should go and check it out, but then he realized a really important fact.

That was Patrick's locker area.

He sprinted to the circle, pushing and elbowing everyone until he got to the center.

"'Trick!" He shouted.

As he reached the center, he saw Gabe grabbed Patrick by the collar, shoving the younger boy to the locker.

"Had fun sleeping with the captain, slut?" Gabe sneered.

Pete was about to jump on Gabe when he heard Patrick retorted back.

"Yeah, too bad your mom doesn't even come close."

Pete stared at Patrick in amazement. Patrick got his spirit back! He could see the fire igniting in Patrick's eyes, flickering wildly back and forth and bringing life into them. It made him happy that he was the reason Patrick was back to being his normal self.

What made him not happy was the fact that Gabe hit Patrick in the jaw. He thought he could hear the sound of bone breaking. He wished it was Gabe's.

He quickly shoved Gabe and straddled him, punching him repeatedly in the face. "Don't you fucking ever lay your filthy hands on him," he growled in between punches. He was aware that there was blood on his fist, but he didn't care. It felt so good.

"Pete! Pete!" He heard someone calling his name but he couldn't bring himself to stop punching the guy below him.

"Pete!"

He pulled his arm back to throw another blow, but then he felt his elbow hit something behind him. He turned around and saw Patrick clutching his bleeding nose. He stared in horror as he realized what he had done. "Oh my God, 'Trick…"

Brendon had finally made his way to Patrick and held Patrick, giving him a tissue and helping him to stop the bleeding.

"Okay, show's over! Everyone back to class!"

Pete felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away. "Wentz, to the principal's office now." He heard a teacher called out to him but he couldn't take his eyes off of the bleeding Patrick.

"Now, Wentz. You can see Mister Stumph at the nurse's office after you've seen the principal," Mr Hurley gently said. "Urie, take Stumph to see the nurse. I need two students to help carry Saporta to the nurse's office." Brendon nodded at him and began leading Patrick away. Mr Hurley nudged Pete to follow him and he wordlessly followed the teacher, not putting up much of a fight.

When they had reached the office, he sat at one of the chairs in front, waiting for his name to be called. He leaned his head back to the wall, closing his eyes. The image of Patrick bleeding was etched at the back of his mind. He had promised to never hurt Patrick, but in less than twenty-four hours, he had broken that promise. He felt like shit; he had brought Patrick nothing but problem after problem.

"Peter Wentz," the principal's assistant called his name. He dragged his feet into the room and plopped down on the chair.

"Mister Wentz," the principal addressed him. "Care to explain why one of the teachers found you beating Mister Saporta, whom I might add, is one of your teammates?"

Pete growled. Why was he at fault here? "He punched Patrick! He's been harassing Patrick daily, why didn't you do something about that?!" Pete yelled, leaning forward to the desk. "Why am I the one being dragged here?! I'm just protecting Patrick!"

"Mister Wentz, calm down-"

"Calm down?! You expect to calm down?! Patrick was being bullied! People hit him, punched him, kicked him, insulted him, humiliated him-"

"Okay, Mister Wentz, I think I got your point." The principal said calmly.

"Then why didn't you do something about it?!"

Pete now realized that he was standing, hands gripping the edge of the table so tight veins popped out. He took a deep breath and slumped his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Mister Hoppus, that was inappropriate of me to do that," he mumbled.

The principal sighed and gestured for Pete to sit down. "You have to know, Mister Wentz, that we don't know anything that's been happening around the school unless the students came to report. Mister Stumph or any of his friends, or anyone for that matter, did not come to report to us, so we aren't aware of his current predicament. Until now, that is."

Pete kept quiet and played with the hem of his shirt. The principal looked at him and cleared his throat.

"I suppose the rumour about the relationship between you and Mister Stumph is true then?" The principal asked.

Pete raised his eyes to see the principal, who was looking at him intently. He held his gaze and clenched his fist. The problem began when he denied their relationship in front of everyone, so he wasn't going to repeat the same mistake twice.

"Yes," he confidently stated, "Yes, I'm in a relationship with Patrick Stumph."

-

 _'i'm a loose bolt of a complete machine_  
_what a match,_  
_i'm half doomed_  
_and you're semi sweet'_

-

Pete slid open the door to the nurse's office, poking his head inside to search for the strawberry blond sophomore. The nurse was nowhere in the room, but he found the younger boy on the bed, laying down on his side and playing with his phone. He snuck up behind Patrick and gave Patrick a kiss on the shoulder.

Patrick tipped his head to see Pete looking miserable. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat up in his bed, making space for Pete as he climbed into the bed with Patrick.

Pete relaxed into Patrick's touch as Patrick rubbed his arm up and down. "Are you okay?"

Pete let out a huff and buried his face in Patrick's stomach. "I'm the one who should be asking that question." He looked up at Patrick and bit his lip. "Did it hurt?"

Patrick looked at him in confusion. "Did what hurt?"

"When you fell from heaven and broke your nose." He smiled as Patrick let out a loud laugh. He could feel Patrick vibrating from laughter and he felt safe. Happy. Complete. He closed his eyes and basked in the presence of Patrick.

"Oh man, cheesy as always, Wentz."

"Well, you are what you eat," he replied, pulling Patrick down so they were both laying on the bed. "What did the nurse say?"

Patrick hummed. "Broken nose. Nothing I can't handle."

Pete poked Patrick at the side and threw his arm and leg on top of Patrick. "Sing me something."

"You're demanding."

"You love me anyway."

Even when he couldn't see Patrick, he could just feel that Patrick was rolling his eyes at him. But when Patrick started humming, he let it slide.

As Patrick hummed, he grabbed Patrick's phone and opened it, searching for some game to play. He was swiping the screen left and right when a notification came in.

**'1 NEW MESSAGE'**

He turned to look at Patrick, who was still humming but had already closed his eyes. Praying that Patrick wouldn't open his eyes soon, he clicked on the notification.

_'hey fagtrick, what about tonight @ locker room, 7pm, ill be waiting'_

He tightened his hold on the phone and pressed the back button, reading all the messages from that morning.

_'wat can u do 4 20$'_

_'do u swallow?'_

_'how much for one night??'_

He didn't realize he was clutching Patrick's shirt until Patrick took his phone back, giving Pete an apologetic look.

"You shouldn't have read that," he mumbled.

"The hell I shouldn't! Patrick, they have really crossed the line!" Pete hissed, sitting up and getting out of bed.

"Pete!" Patrick grabbed Pete's wrist and held it tight, not letting Pete go anywhere. "You're not going to beat them," he said gently. "You're going to ignore them, and let this thing died down by itself."

"But, Patrick-"

"Pete. Listen," Patrick cut him mid-sentence. "This is my problem. I can handle it. I'm not as weak as everyone thinks."

"'Trick…" Pete sighed. There was no way he could win against Patrick. "Is there any way I can help you?"

Patrick's lips quirked up at a corner. "Things can't be changed, Pete. What's done is done."

A bright idea came into Pete's mind and he kissed Patrick on the temple. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Patrick arched his eyebrow in amusement before turning serious. "Oh, yeah. What happened at the principal's office?"

Pete shrugged and sat on the bed, shoving Patrick's outstretched legs in the process. "Nah, the usual. Just chatting, hanging out, we're gonna go play golf this weekend though, but I had to say no because my boyfriend wants to watch Star Trek marathon with me, you know, no big deal."

Patrick rolled his eyes and smacked Pete with a pillow he pulled from behind him. "Be serious."

Pete laughed and brought the pillow to his chest. "The principal will look into this matter. No suspension, but I've got one month detention, so you're going to have to stay a little bit late more than usual," he grinned cheekily.

"What makes you think I'm going to wait for you?" Patrick raised his eyebrow, challenging him.

"You love me, duh." Then he threw the pillow to Patrick's face.

-

 _'permanent jetlag_  
_please take me back_  
_i'm stray dog sick_  
_please let me in_  
_when life keeps tripping'_

-

As soon as his detention for the day was over, he made a mad dash to the music room and slammed the door open.

"'Tricky! I need your daily comfort hugs and kisses!"

He heard a stifled laughter and then an amused voice from his left. "Patrick's not here, Pete."

He turned to the voice and drooped his shoulders, glowering. "But he's supposed to be here! It's music room day today!" He whined.

"Music room day?" Brendon blinked. Was there really such a day?

"Yes! He's always in the music room every Thursday!" He paused. "Today is Thursday, isn't it?"

Brendon laughed out loud. "You remembered his schedule! How cute!" After he had finished laughing, he stood a little straighter. "But, no, he had to go to the band room today. The teacher asked for his help to change the score for our next performance," he explained. "So, if you want your daily comfort hugs and kisses, try the band room." Brendon smirked.

"Hopefully it's not just hugs and kisses." He gave a dirty grin and skipped out of the room, laughing at Brendon's horror-struck expression.

"Eww, Pete! Gross! Don't do it in the band room, please! Wait, you guys did it in the band room, didn't you?! God! That's where we practice!"

-

For the second time that day, Pete stood glowering at Patrick, who was currently giving all his attention to the stacks of paper in front of him instead of Pete.

"'Trick…" he lamented. "'Trick… I haven't gotten my hugs and kisses yet," he complained loudly, trying to catch the other boy's attention.

Patrick ignored him, not even once pausing his work or looking at Pete. "'Trick! Patrick Stumph! Patrick Martin Stumph! My lovely, adorable, genius, short-tempered boyfriend! Pay attention to your hot, amazing, sexy as hell boyfriend!"

When he didn't get a reaction out of Patrick, he flopped down to the couch and made unintelligible noises. This went on for five minutes until he became sleepy. He was dozing when he felt a dip on the couch next to him, and then a head on his shoulder.

He turned his head and buried his nose in Patrick's hair, inhaling his scent. "Finished with your work?"

Patrick just hummed in answer and curled up closer to Pete, wrapping his arms around Pete's waist.

"That was fast," Pete commented. "Changing a score isn't easy."

"'Twas nothin'," Patrick mumbled in his chest. Pete smiled and kissed his neck. "Sorry you had to wait for me."

Pete twisted his body so he could see Patrick's face and kissed Patrick softly on the lips. He closed his eyes and felt Patrick kissing him back, parting his lips. He sighed into the kiss; he loved this moment, where they both were the only ones existed and had nothing else to care for in the world but each other.

He pulled Patrick to his lap and placed his hand behind Patrick's head, playing with his hair, and the other hand on his hip, squeezing every once in a while.

Patrick broke the kiss to get some air and Pete chased his mouth back, continuing their make-out session. He brushed his tongue gently over the crevices of Patrick's mouth, taking comfort in the wet warmth.

"'Trick…" He murmured.

"Yes, Patrick is his name." They both jumped and broke apart at the voice.

Patrick was blushing hard at the person whom had just interrupted their moment. "M-Miss Wi-Will-Williams! I-I-I'm s-so sorry you h-had to s-s-see t-t-tha-that," he stuttered. Pete found it adorable that whenever Patrick was blushing around other people, he would stammer so hard people sometimes couldn't catch what he was trying to say.

The teacher just flapped a hand at them, unperturbed at the scene she had witnessed earlier. "As long as you keep the couch and the rest of the room clean. Don't think I don't know what happened in here last night."

Patrick, after hearing what Miss Williams had said, blushed darker and began stammering out incomprehensible words. Pete wanted to help him, but this was just too cute.

"You should try singing. You really do know how to hold your notes," Miss Williams said, amused at Patrick's expression. "Just kidding. But seriously, you could be good at singing." Then she turned to greet Pete, "Wentz." Pete nodded in response, giving her a two-finger salute.

"Patrick, is the score finished?" She turned to the still stammering blushing boy.

Patrick nodded mutely, unable to say anything. Pete decided to take pity on him and answer for him. "It's on the table," he pointed to the direction. The teacher walked over and picked up the sheets of paper, scanning them.

"Perfect. Thanks for helping out, Patrick. See you tomorrow for practice," she smiled and walked out, but stopped at the door, giving Pete a stern look. "The couch is off limits. I sit there."

Pete grinned and waved at her retreating back. Once they were alone, Pete turned to Patrick and played with his earlobe, biting and kissing the area under it.

"So… when can we do it again?" Pete asked softly, mouth sliding down to suck a spot on Patrick's neck.

It took Patrick a moment to reply Pete by shoving him off the couch. "Wentz, you fucker, I'm still sore!" He seethed and stood up to grab his bag.

Pete broke into a hysterical laughter, rolling around on the floor. Man, he loved his life.

-

 _'i just need enough of you_  
_to dull the pain_  
_just to keep me through the night_  
_till we're twins again_  
_till we're stripped down_  
_to our skeletons again_  
_till we're saints just swimming_  
_in our sins again'_

-

Pete was waiting for Patrick outside when he heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw the band teacher walking up to him.

"Miss Williams," Pete greeted. "What are you still doing here? I thought you'd already went back."

"I had some things to settle. What about you? Waiting for Patrick?" She asked.

Pete nodded. "Yeah, we're going to go get something to eat, but he left something in the band room so he went to take it."

The teacher looked around before speaking in a low voice. "Wentz, are you serious about Patrick?"

Without a moment of hesitation, Pete nodded. "Yeah, I am. I made a mistake once, and I'm not going to repeat it again." Pete paused before continuing with a quiet voice. "People may say we're too young, but I really do love him. I'm in love with him."

"That's good," the teacher smiled at him. Pete looked at her in confusion. "When I first met him, he was a freshman. He was quiet and shy, and he rarely talked to anyone during practice. He would come for practice, stay for extra practice, then he would leave."

Pete stared at her; he knew Patrick was never a social butterfly. He had been watching Patrick since Patrick was a freshman, when Gabe purposely dropped Patrick's books and called him names, and then Patrick shot back at him.

It was love at first sight and sound. The touch, scent and taste came much, much later because Patrick was too shy to even start first base. Not even the first base, because he was too shy to even start the game.

"But, one day, Patrick began to talk more with his bandmates. He smiled more and he seemed at ease. When he became a sophomore, he gladly took Brendon under his wing, teaching him various musical instruments. I've always wanted to see the reason behind his change, and now that I have," she smiled at Pete, "I want to thank you, for making Patrick happy. He deserves that after what he's been through."

Pete felt love and happiness blossomed in his chest. He never knew he made Patrick came out of his shell, little by little. For Patrick to become more confident in himself, Pete knew it was a big effort, but he was part of the reason for the change. He was the reason Patrick felt comfortable in his own skin.

"Pete?" A melodic voice rang in his ears. "Miss Williams, you're still here?" Patrick asked when he noticed the female teacher.

"I'm just leaving. See you both soon," the teacher bid them goodbye and walked away.

Pete pulled Patrick into a tight hug and buried his face in the crook of Patrick's shoulder. "I love you."

"Did something happen?" Patrick craned his neck to look at Pete, but Pete only hugged him tighter until there's no space between them. "Nothing. I love you."

He felt Patrick breathed next to his ear and he smiled.

"Yeah, I know. You say it everyday."

Patrick might not be ready to say the three words to him back, but he'd wait. He would wait forever for Patrick.

-

 _'i don't know where you're going_  
_but do you got room for_  
_one more troubled soul?_  
_i don't know where i'm going_  
_but i don't think i'm coming home_  
_innocent'_

-

Pete really couldn't wait for recess; he might cause an uproar, but things would finally change. He grinned gleefully as he waited for the bell to ring. As soon as the bell rang, he grabbed his bag and dashed to the cafeteria, avoiding everyone skillfully.

The cafeteria was almost full, but he could easily find Patrick in the crowd since he always sat at the same spot. He spotted Patrick sitting with Brendon and ran towards them, then proceeded to throw his arms around Patrick's neck.

When Patrick tilted his head upwards to look at him, he quickly stooped down for a kiss. He knew there were students watching them, and Patrick was horrified to his soul at the public display of affection, but who the fuck cares?

"Hey," Pete whispered against Patrick's lips and stole another kiss before standing up straight.

"Pete! What was that about?!" Patrick hissed, embarrassed. "People could've seen that!"

Pete shrugged and stretched his body. "Making things right."

Ignoring Patrick's confused expression, he stepped onto the table and yelled loudly, catching everyone's attention. "Listen up, peeps! I've got some things to say!"

The cafeteria then became quiet as everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Pete. Some were glancing at Patrick and murmuring, and Patrick slouched down in his seat in hopes that people couldn't see him.

Pete smiled at him and cleared his throat. "I'm used to people calling me 'idiot' and 'stupid', and whenever I hear them, I just brush them off. But, the other day, I made a huge mistake and even 'idiot' couldn't come close to describing me. I'm worse than an idiot, because I actually hurt the person I love just because I was scared of people's reactions."

He took a deep breath and continued. "The past month was hard for me. That stupid mistake costed me my happiness. I couldn't bring myself to watch that person got hurt, day after day, especially after what I did." His eyes softened at the sight of Patrick, whom was watching him intently.

"Patrick Stumph," he addressed the boy, never breaking eye contact, "I'm sorry for what I did, and for what I put you through. It was very selfish of me and I never, ever wanted to hurt you. The time we spent together was amazing, and you may not know this, but I'm sure we are meant to be together. I know we are. You and me. Pete and Patrick. Together forever. You've seen me at my lowest, you make the mess in my head bearable, you make my day better.

"You're like a siren in the dark, you're the beat playing in my heart. You keep me alive. You keep me safe. You keep me sane. You keep me honest. And for that, I love you." He ended with a gentle voice and held his hand out to Patrick, waiting for him to take it. Patrick didn't waste his breath taking Pete's hand in his, and Pete pulled Patrick up to the table and kissed him.

They didn't pay attention to the cheers and the catcalls around them. For a moment, it was just the two of them.

"Are you sure about this, Pete?" Patrick whispered. Even with the loud noises in the background, Pete could hear him loud and clear. He nodded and melted at the love and adoration in Patrick's eyes. Patrick might not say the words, but Pete could see it in Patrick's eyes. And that was more than enough.

-

 _'say yeah, let's be alone together_  
_we could stay young forever'_

* * *

As soon as the commercial is over, Pete turns up the volume of the television. He stretches on the bed and gives his undivided attention to the flat screen in front of him.

"And here it is, the moment we've all been waiting for! Please welcome, Patrick Stump!"

Pete's eyes light up when he sees Patrick on the screen in his three-piece suit and his signature guitar. The drummer begins counting down and they start to play the first song. Pete grins at the song he knows all too well.

 _'Cause they might try to tell you how you can live your life_  
_But don't, don't forget it's your right_  
_To do whatever you like, you like_  
_Cause you could be your own spotlight'_

Pete bops his head to the rhythm and mouths the lyrics. Patrick has grown so much over the years, and Pete is more than happy that he plays a big role in helping the transition from a timid boy to a confident man.

Patrick has also became better at singing. He used to sing softly and quietly, afraid that people could hear him. But now, he sings loudly into the microphone and dances around on the stage.

He cheers loudly as Patrick belts out the bridge, holding his notes for as long as he can.

 _'Cause I had a little bit of bad luck_  
_Oh, under this crumbling world, stuck_  
_Little sweetness keeps just out of reach_  
_Cause compassion is something that they_  
_Just don't, just don't teach, teach_  
_Cause you could be your own spotlight'_

Pete fishes out his phone and sends a short text to Patrick.

' _ur amazing, as alwys. i love you_ '

Seconds after Patrick's set has finished, his phone rings and he quickly picks up, knowing who is on the other line.

"Hey, loving the suit," Pete grins at the sound of Patrick's laughter and absent-mindedly plays with the metal band on his ring finger.

_"Only because you bought it! But I do look pretty good in them, huh?"_

"You look hot. Please get back soon, I can't handle watching our monthly movie marathon weekend alone anymore," he whines and rolls over on the bed, inhaling the familiar scent. "I miss you."

_"Yeah, same here. Just one more week, and I'm home. Then we can do anything you want."_

"Anything?"

_"Anything."_

"Come home soon and you're going to make my dreams come true."

_"Pervert as always, Wentz."_

Pete smirks, even after ten years, some things never change. "Yeah, but you love them too, don't deny it."

They may be a thousand miles apart, but Pete knows Patrick is rolling his eyes at him right now.

_"Don't you have soccer practice?"_

"Nah, the season doesn't start until months from now, but I've been working out. Gotta have lots of stamina when you come back. We have one month worth of some sweet love-"

_"Pete! Don't you fucking dare finish that sentence!"_

"-making to do," Pete laughs loudly into the speaker of the phone. "Seriously though, good job on the stage. I'm really proud of you, 'Trick."

_"Pete…"_

"Come back safely. I'll be waiting."

_"Yeah. I love you, Pete."_

Pete closes his eyes and smiles. "I love you too, 'Trick."

**Author's Note:**

> One of the lines in Pete's speech is taken from All Time Low's The Edge of Tonight.
> 
> It's 1:40 am and I have organic chemistry test at 8. 
> 
> Leave some comments!


End file.
